Help with dust collector situation

I like the scientific approach, and will attend to the contributions from this smart community.

Meantime, the low tech discipline requires me occasionally to turn on the system switch momentarily and then, when I can grab a handful of bag (right after I’ve put on my mask, kids) I just rattle and shake it like a rat terrier treats a stuffed shark, letting all that fine stuff get freed from the walls of the bag and fall down into the barrel. It works, you can see it, and the machine always pulls better after I do that.

But a gauge telling me when to do that would be way cooler.

Also here’s a little trick on a DC system: Joints that you think might be leaking? Wrap them with 4” stretch wrap. Stays till you need to take the system apart, nothing gooey involved, and simple.

-- "...in his brain, which is as dry as the remainder biscuit after a voyage, he hath strange places cramm'd with observation, the which he vents in mangled forms." --Shakespeare, "As You Like It"

I have the same DC as you. and here is how I upgeaded that useless filter bag:

http://lumberjocks.com/PurpLev/blog/7085

I can’t express the HUGE difference between puffs of dust around it while in use, to 0 dust escaping it now.

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Thanks for the ideas. I am going to install a gauge and when I do I will post it for others. It is not expensive and it is definitely cool.

PurpLev – how do you clean the filter? It seems that 0.3 microns would get clogged up after some time.

For now I use an air compressor at low pressure (20-40) and blow at it from the outside all around. I would like at some point to build a paddle that would turn inside, but for now this works, and it’s nor as harsh on the filter material.

would like to see a link to your mentioned gauge – sounds like a worthy addition to a DC setup.

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

30 micron bags are very useless. I have upgraded to a 2 micron filter bag and it is much better.

-- Remember, measure twice, cut once

Yes, 2 micron is better than 30, but the latest research suggests you want to remove less than micron particles. The .5 micron filters (like the Wynn that PurpLev used) do that. There is a fair amount of research on dust in the 1-5 micron range that looks ugly.

Another tip I was surprised to find, but it makes sense: you don’t want to clean your filters too much. It turns out that layers of dust is part of the filtering, and if they are too clean, they don’t work as advertised.

i bought the jet filter upgrade [pleated canister] for my north states dc. just measure the diameter to be sure it will fit yours. junk the bag, save your lungs

After thinking it through and considering all the options I believe what I am going to do is to simply vent it outside. That is, I am going to replace the top bag with a plenum which has a furnace filter and then vent that air to the outside. This way there is zero chance of that dust being released into the shop.

The couple of issues with this setup are that if you are in a cold climate you are sucking out heated air and will need to replace it. I live in a warm environment so that will not be an issue. The other thing I discovered is to keep some back pressure on the fan so that it doesn’t spin too fast. This will be accomplished with the plenum and furnace filter. I can also put a simple HVAC damper in the duct to adjust the back pressure.

Most commercial facilities have the dust collector and bags outside.

Once I have it set up I will send some photos and a report. I hope to have an HVAC guy do some measurements before and after on the system just to see what is what.

Thanks

I vent my DC unit outside, I love it.

-- Ohh mann...pancakes and boobies...I'll bet that's what Heaven is like! ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

Abbot – how did you do the duct work etc? Also, I like your tagline and it is true but one thing I have noticed is that Norm’s cuts are so good that it would stay together even if he didn’t use any glue or fasteners.